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Ascension Fanfic - Burning Their Last Hopes/Summer's Perspective
"How about the one about the cheating wench?" Channing says, answering Liza's question. I pick at my knitted bracelet, trying to contain my composure. "Or how about the one about the sun elf who should shut his damned mouth before he gets hit?" I snap back harshly, getting up. Everyone's eyes are on me before I turn around, rushing out in humiliation. I hated him. Launching myself at a tree, I settle down, shifting so my weight doesn't cause the branch to snap as I feel myself break down all over again. I've tried telling him sorry for several days...he doesn't even talk to me...and when he does, it's always insulting, calling me a b- I hear a sound of leaves crunching and groan, tossing my head back as my eyes sting. "Get away...I need to be alone..." I say, hugging my torso. Channing would have helped whenever I was cold... "Liza. Don't climb up - seriously. You're pregnant and I don't want you to get hurt." I say, running my fingers through my tangled hair. "Hurt? That's only my middle name...next to trouble of course," I hear her say. I'd look over, but I don't mainly for not having the confidence to do so and my eyes being so blurry that I can't even make out more than a smudge of pure colors. "Come on, what's wrong?" She asks, after sitting down beside me. I heave a sigh. Things like this couldn't be fixed by her...only me and him... "I messed up...I made a mistake and Channing found out...He hates me and he won't forgive me." I sigh before continuing. "He's being a prick over nothing and he won't..." I nearly choke up on the last words. "He won't understand how sorry I am." "What did you do?" She asks, and I squeeze my eyes close as I dreaded those words to come from her mouth. "After...after Ander let Feu go, Fabian was ranting." I start, bile rushing at the back of my throat, his voice repeating in my mind. You're perfect. Channing's so lucky... It's not fair. "I don't...I don't know...one second he was ranting...that stupid look on his face...the next...well...I...I kissed him..." I admit, squeezing my eyes close even tighter as I can feel a tingling sensation in the same spot where he placed his lips on my neck. It felt so gentle...so innocent...yet caused my entire life to tumble down in shards of glass, each of them stabbing me. "I know, I know, it was stupid for me to do..." I say, my voice beginning to sound croaky. "After it was over...I've been avoiding him...but with him being your childhood friend...he's always around and I've felt guilty...I guess Channing found out, and well, he's been a prick." She pauses for a moment. "You did kiss Fabian...an Ileth, and you expect him to be fine?" I feel a sudden warmth in my hand...nothing compared to Channing's... "Summer, it may have been an honest mistake but Channing matters a lot to you and you matter to him. You've broken his trust and it'll take a lot to get it back." She's right...but what if I don't get it back? With things going like this...the silence...not talking...I highly doubt he'd want me around anymore...he wouldn't hesitate to go around my back and backstab me, right? That scares me the most... "Does that mean that...that we're back to square one?" I ask, still knowing she doesn't have answers. I have answers for Channing, he has answers for me...we're both in the wrong, the only problem is who will admit it first... "I'll let you two decide at that." She murmurs, hugging me. "Also, head back soon please. This bonfire is going to last until tomorrow, I promise you that." I wait for a few moments, trying to pick myself up. His contageous smile...his eyes...I remember just getting lost in them...now they seem to have turned cold...whenever they skim over mine...it's just not the same...it's...painful. I swing my feet over, jumping down. A sharp pain tears through my ankles, but I ignore it, walking back to the bonfire. Before I even get the chance to sit down, I feel someone grab tightly at my wrist, dragging me back. Once we're far enough, I see Channing spin me around, forcing my eyes to stare at his. I tear them away. "Don't come here to speak bullcrap, Channing." I hiss, venom hinting in my voice. "You embarassed me in front of my friends, I don't even want to hear you try and talk to me! You don't think that was enough? Everyone thinks I'm the villain here, thanks to you! Is that what you want? Sympathy? Go talk to Ander, talk to the entire damned camp, but I'll tell you, you won't earn any freaking sympathy from your little 'Azora', because you're too much of a prick to even agree on anything!" I raise my voice, trying to stop myself, but it's already out. "You hate me! And you know what? I think I hate you too! You're the reason I'm in mood-swings, I have insomnia, the reason I'm falling into depression! You're the reason why I'm not myself anymore, you're the damn reason why I-" "I'm the reason?" He asks, snarky. "Look at you! Torn apart, broken. Go ahead, tell me you hate me, because I didn't even like you in the first place. You should have known ever since that night. A weak...stupid girl like you...I rejected you for a reason. What happened, did that kill you? Or was it combined with your parents passing? You were never how you say you used to be, it's all in your head. Nothing's changed." He says bluntly, no emotion on his face, while I'm over here bursting into tears. "I fell in love with you out of pity, Summer! You wanna know why? Pity! In empathy! And then you took that and turned around, right when I thought what we had was real, and went on and made out with Fabian, that Ileth son of a-" "DAMN YOU!" I scream, my face bruised and burning from scratching it, trying to drone out his voice and images from my mind. "Stop it, stop....stop..." Out of pity. Empathy. He looks at me for a second, almost as he was regretting what he said. And just like that, the look went away. "Summer...are you okay?" Empathy...it all makes sense... "Hey..." He murmurs, holding my shoudler. I begin to sink to my knees. I don't have my parents...everyone else is having the time of their amazing lives, while I sit here living the crappiest one that exists. "Summer, are you-" I shake my head continously, trying to block out his voice. Several minutes pass before I look up, wishing that he wasn't there...wishing he'd leave me be with salted, rosy cheeks. "We should get back to the bonfire." He says dryly, walking off. I wipe them off with the back of my sleeve, standing up and returning to the bonfire, finding Channing behind me. I fake a small smile and few laughs, just to look comfortable... ---- "THE ONLY REASON YOU'RE ARGUING WITH ME IS BECAUSE YOU'RE OBSESSED!" "Obsessed?!" I yell, anger pinching at my hoarse voice. "I AM NOTHING WITHOUT YOU! YOU TELL ME YOU LOVED ME OUT OF PITY, AND THEN EXPECT ME TO BE FINE?!" I shout, grabbing a glass vase and throwing it at him. Channing ducks just in time, the vase hitting the floor in scattered pieces. "YOU EXPECTED ME TO BE FINE AFTER YOU KISSED AN ILETH, SUMMER!" "You still don't believe me? The guy was drunk, Channing!" "If he was so drunk, you could have left!" "I TRIED!" I scream, tears in my eyes. "I PROMISE YOU THAT I TRIED, AND YOU STILL DON'T BELIEVE A WORD I SAY! IS THAT WHAT YOU DO?! TELL GIRLS YOU LOVE THEM AND LEAVE THEM THE SECOND YOU FEEL SOMETHING SUSPICIOUS? OR DO YOU LEAVE THEM REGARDLESS!?" "I DON'T LEAVE GIRLS IF THEY'RE LOYAL!" "I WAS LOYAL!" "A GIRL WHO STAYS WITH HER MAN IS FU-" The entrance opens a crack, Gaia's head peeking out. "Hey...are you guys okay?" "SHUT UP!" Both me and Channing scream at the same time. I shove past Gaia, outside of the tent and going to the Nifty Fox Inn; a place my mother and Aunt Aida would fake fights at and earn a little bit of gold... I grind my teeth as I sit at the bar, next to a blonde woman. I tap the countertop gently before the waitress walks over, handing me a glass of some sort of cranberry red liquid. Tilting my head back, I gulp it down as I hear the girl next to me shift. "Sorry...I swear I've seen you before," She murmurs, and I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. "Oh yeah, aren't you friends with the Princess of Valond? I shouldn't talk about this openly, but I'm really curious.." I ponder for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, I am." "Cool...I'm Vivian Brooks," She says, holding out her hand. I shake it lightly. "Summer. Summer Azora." "Nice name." She says, looking down at the palm of her hand. I see a light brown outline of a scar, but only catch a glimpse of it as she turns her hand over, noticing me staring. I quickly snap my head back up. "So...no boyfriend? You look young, but not that young...I'd just expect you to be somewhere else with someone. Especially being friends with royalty, you've met hundreds of people, haven't you?" "Oh...uh, that's the main reason I'm here. Fights...you know...the usual." I answer, taking another sip. "It's complicated." "Ah...well, if anything, you should get the fellow to beg for you...have him on his knees." I laugh a little, scratching my ankle. "Trust me, I've tried..." "Come on...it musn't have been that effective...maybe get a tailor to get you an outfit that's rather...appealing, to him. I assume he's human?" "No...a Sun Elf." "Ah...yep, they could be a little stubborn. Most of them are." "I definitely get where you're coming from." I reply, pushing the glass away from reach. "What about you?" "Huh?" "Do you have anybody special, I mean." "Oh...nah, I'm a heartbreaker." She shrugs nonchalantly. "I don't believe in love and fairytales. I attempted several times...but...there's no spark." "Oh..." I murmur, rubbing my arm. "That doesn't bother you?" She shrugs again. "Sometimes, yes, it does tend to make me a little jealous, but...not long enough for me to have the effort to go out and find someone. I'm more of a fighter with less time on my hands than going out and mingling around." "Oh...okay." "Mmm-hmm." She says, downing another glass of what looks like red wine. "I came here with my brother, Haku, but I don't know where he is..." A tall guy, probably in his early twenties stumbles over to Vivian, his dark brown bangs side-swept and droopy hazel eyes. Probably from drinking. "Speaking of which..." She pauses, eyeing the guy before looking over at me. "This is Haku. Don't let him get too close...he'll flirt you up." "W-wha? No...she has no curves..." I narrow my eyes, frowning. "She seems like a petite girl to me." Vivian says, but Haku just continues to stumble on his feet. Not to mention, he's kind of...good looking. "I guess she isn't that curvy...but...she's pre...pretty..." He mumbles, chuckling a little as his weary eyes examine my facial features. "I could definitely seduce a...a woman like...like..." "Anywayyy..." Vivian says, standing up and wrapping an arm around her brother's waist. "I should get him back to where we're staying..." "If you want," I stand up, offering. "Our camp isn't too far from here...you could come along, if you'd like." She smiles before shaking her head, her loose, curly spirals bouncing in front of her face. "Nah, it's alright. I have to go meet up with a friend of mine, anyway. Thanks for the offer, though, I'm sure we'll meet again some other time." "Of course," I say, smiling. I look over at Haku, who's been keeping eyes on me the whole time. "Don't cause too much trouble," I tease, pushing my hair out of my face. "...I could do...do many...amazing...troubling things...w-with...y-" "Okay, Haku, you should just close your mouth." Vivian interrupts, turning him around, making me giggle a little. ---- "So, yeah, basically...ever since, we haven't talked." I mumble, Gaia suprisingly doing a pretty darn good french braid. "Wait, how are you so good at doing hair?" "Oh...my friends were all girls when I was little since the boys my age were really rough, so...I learned from them." He says, blushing. I smile a little. "That's adorable." "I'm still a man...a manly one. Don't think I wasn't crushing on the one who taught me." "It's still really cute." I say with a warm smile, not being able to help myself from commenting on it. His face contorts and he scrunches up his nose. I guess he doesn't like the topic. "...It's done." He says, flipping me around and tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "Why do you want to be all pampered, anyway?" He asks, me, furrowing his eyebrows. I bite my lip, looking at the ground. "No reason." Ever since taking Vivian's suggestion into consideration, well, let's just say I'm trying my best... I walk out of the tent, over to Liza. "What did you do?" She asks, and I quickly glance around the camp before turning my head back. "I'm making Channing regret everything." "He thinks he won't give in but I'm going to make him regret hurting me." "Summer, the point of what I told you was so that you and he could talk it out, not so you can sexually arouse him before rejecting him." She says, and I try to refrain from giggling even more. No, I wasn't going to do just ''that...I know Vivian isn't in love, but a little advice couldn't hurt, right? "Are you drunk?" "No, just giddy." I reply. Channing...the little prick..."But I want him to pay for this." "Did you even try talking or did you just yell at him? You know, not yelling at him would've prevented this..." "He said he only loved me because he felt sorry." I say, his voice, his words replaying in my mind. ''You wanna know why? Pity! I fell in love with you out of pity! In empathy! "I'm trying to prove him wrong. Prove that he cared...that he still does...I just want him back." She leans over, hugging me, and I hug her back. "I hate you for ruining my good mood..." I murmur. "I hate you too...okay, I'm gonna go check on Penelope. I haven't seen her since bonfire night." "Okay." I shuffle my feet towards my tent, looking for an outfit to wear. Not that I haven't had thousands of ones that are really small on me, or they expose my entire theigh... I pull a loose black tank top over my head and put on a pair of dark green shorts, zipping up my beige knee-high boots. I quickly grab my bow, leaving my vest with knives behind, and sneak a pack of bolts in my pocket, setting out. I'm about to exit camp before something stops me. "Summer." I debate on whether or not I should turn around. I play with the ends of my braid, stifling a sneer. "What?" I question, turning around and facing Channing. "I'm just...curious as to where you went..." He says, his face flushed with scarlet. I smirk. "Why should you care? I'm obsessed, accordingly, am I wrong? If I'm so obsessed with you maybe you should be happy I gave you time alone." I snap, my necklace glowing. "...I was mad." "Ha! You were mad? Mad? ''You're the one driving me mad! You tell me you loved me out of pity because you were mad? You tell me that I'm obsessed with you because you were mad? Maybe we should stop talking, because if you wanna see mad, I'll show you mad, you little-" "Summer, maybe you should calm down a little," Gaia says into my ear, his voice hushed. I glare at Channing before walking to wherever Gaia is directing me, his arm thrown around my shoulder. "You guys have gotta stop..." "Tell him that." I mutter. "I'm addressing the both of you. Both of you, because you both are feeding the flame...things can't get better unless both of you come to a conclusion that doesn't involve breaking vases and anything within reach." I stay silent. "Summer?" "I wanna go to Northcliff...alone." I add, crossing my arms over my chest. "But-" "I. Want to go. To. Northcliff. Now...let me go." He presses his lips into a fine line before nodding. "Alright. Be safe." ---- I take a seat at The Wandering Tree, a place where I heard Aunt Aida met Uncle Jace. I smile at the thought of having a crush on a man in his mid thirties at only six years of age... "Hello, stunning." I hear someone whisper, and I notice the same guy from a few days ago...Haku. "Haku, right?" "Yep." He says, pushing his bangs out of his face with a simple tilt of his head. I smirk. "Where's Vivian?" "Ah...I dunno. Probably down the street...which is why I came here." "To drink?" He looks off to the side. "Drinks are okay...and addictive...but no." He turns his head back to me, giving me a sexy smile. "I came here to see you." I lean forward, peering at him. "I don't think I'd be of interest. I'm boring, boy." "I change plenty of girls from boring to..." He leans forward as well, his face inches from mine. "Well...let's just call it interesting." He smirks in satisfaction after I feel myself blush before leaning back into his chair. I roll my eyes. "How so?" "Sit here and I'll show you." He says, patting his legs. I get up from my chair, walking over to him, but not sitting down. He watches me, half-smiling. "What's wrong? Nervous?" "How much do you want if you could do me a favor?" He smirks. "Sit on my lap first." "Screw you." "Then I won't do you a favor." "Seriously?" He yanks at my arm, bringing me down with him. He smiles in satisfaction as I fall into his lap, flat on my- "What's the favor, sweetie?" "I have a few...complications...with a guy that broke up with me." I look over to him, a coy smile sitting on my lips. "Do you think you could help fake a relationship with me?" "I'd love to..." He says, his smile quickly turning around. "But I barely know you, dolly." "You don't have to. I work with the Princess...if you want gold, I'll give it to you." "Hmm..." He looks at me, his eyes settling on my lips. "I'll do it...just because you seem like the type of girl I wouldn't get bored of." His eyes flicker back up to mine, causing my breath to hitch. "And because of your looks, of course." He wraps his arm around me, and I look at the ground before blonde locks block my vision. "Shhh, Viv, we were having a moment." I quickly stand up, Haku standing up behind me. "We weren't-" "Stunning, I know you don't want anyone to know, but at least make it less obvious." He smirks. "You look like a tomato." "I-" "It's fine, Summer. He does it to every girl he catches...Haku, do me a favor and leave the poor thing alone?" Vivian says, crossing her arms over her chest with an angry look in her eyes. "We were just making a deal." "Deal?" Vivian looks over at me. "What deal?" "...It's nothing." I say, saving myself and probably Haku as well. She sighs, rolling her eyes. "Whatever...anyway, you guys wanna go look around or something? I've been bored out of my mind." I glance over at Haku before nodding. "Sure. I've been bored too." "Would've been bored if I hadn't saved you," I hear him whisper into my ear, and I smirk. "Trust me, even ''that couldn't have made it any more exciting." "The ride is just starting, Stunning." ---- I step inside the Fragile Falcons Inn, Vivian beside me. It was probably noon and I should've been back at camp...but oh well... The ale tastes really good. ''My mother would say. I turn over to Haku. "How's the ale here?" I question, curious. He thinks about it. "It's decent." He says casually, and frankly, I'm surprised that he didn't tie in any inappropriate joke. I nod, walking over to the counter and sitting down next to Vivian. "How did you even get here? To Northcliff?" She asks, handing me some ale. I shrug. "Nearly got into a fight this morning and wanted to cool off." I drink a little bit of the ale before passing it back. "So, what's your backstory?" "Not much." She replies, Haku looking at me over her shoulder. "Haku wanted to become a knight, although was disappointed after finding out that the order no longer remained...and as for me, well, I don't give a crap. Nothing exciting." "Our parents died when we were kids, so life was hard. We weren't the richest." Haku adds, his cheeks a deep maroon, and his eyes looking past me. He clears his throat. "Anyway, what about you?" "Huh?" "Your history." "Oh...I lived a normal life...my mother was friends with the Crown Princess of Valond, or-" "Aida." Vivian says, nodding. "Yeah...my mother's name was Sky. She died a few months ago, along with my father, Diego." Haku's expression changes after the name "Diego". Clearly he knows what happened. "Anyway, that's basically it. And I had a crush on Jace, the remaining knight, when I was like, seven." "Jace is alive?" Haku says, his jaw dropped. "I've heard stories...I thought they were rumors..." "Yeah, he's pretty much alive." I say, smiling. "Why?" "Would you mind if I met him?" He asks, and I raise my eyebrows. "Oh...s-sure...why not." "Perfect, then!" Vivian says, grinning widely. "We'll visit your friends and camp, that way Haku can get to see Jace." "They'll get along well." I say, biting my lip with a smile. "How come?" He asks, and I laugh a bit. "Both of you have the same personalities. Or at least, he used to...probably still does..." I murmur, thinking. Vivian shoves her dagger into her belt, and Haku puts his katana into his sheath. You'd hardly believe that they're related... Vivian walks to use the bathroom, and I sigh, Haku's flirtacious smirk returning. "What does the guy look like?" I pause. "Who? Channing?" "Your ex." "Oh, yeah, Channing...uh, he's a Sun Elf," I mention rather quickly, pushing my hands deeper into my pockets. "Dirty blonde long hair, hazel eyes, tan skin..." "Ugh," Haku mumbles, sticking his tongue out. "Why'd you settle for that?" "I don't know. I just did." "You'd be better off with someone who understands..." He says, walking closer to me with a smirk. "Nobody can get you like a human does." He's right...not even a noble...not a moon elf...it's just not the right amount of feelings... He presses his forehead to mine, staring me down. "Think about it." He whispers, his hot breath tickling my neck before giving a final smirk and walking off. ---- "Where the hell is she!?" "Summer, calm down," Aunt Aida says, tears in her eyes. "We just...we don't know..." "Who are we looking for again?" Haku questions, his bow loaded. "My...my friend, the Princess of Valond...Liza..." "That's a gorgeous name." "Shut up." "Jealous?" He asks, tucking my side bangs out of my face. I narrow my eyes at him. "You are my fake girlfriend, after all." He says into my ear, making me shudder, snapping out of my haze. "Anyway, what do we do?" I ask Uncle Zander. He holds Aunt Aida in his arms softly. "I'm so sorry Summer...I wish we knew...we just...we don't yet..." "How long will she be gone?!" "We don't-" "DON'T TELL ME YOU DON'T KNOW! SHE IS YOUR DAUGHTER, AND THE DAMN GIRL FROM HER CHILDHOOD IS THE ONE WITH THE MOST CONCERN?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" "Summer, don't speak to your uncle like that!" "SHUT UP! I'M A GROWN WOMAN!" Haku lifts me up like it's nothing, dragging me away from a sobbing aunt and uncle. I curse every word imaginable under my breath when he puts me down. "Summer, y'know, it's not easy to just go out and look for your best friend...if she's kidnapped, we have no idea where she is..." "I know, I just...I know her..." I feel tears already welling in my eyes. "She has a baby, and I...I just don't want it to get hurt," My voice breaks at the end, Vivian giving me a small hug. "It's okay, shh..." "No it's not!" I wail, crying. "If I hadn't been so focused on making my ex jealous...I would have...I would've helped...and now we have no idea..." Haku hugs me, wrapping his arms around my waist, squeezing his eyes shut. "I know how it feels...it's devestating...but everything'll be alright..." And for exactly one moment, I feel...safe. Unthreatened, right there in his arms. ''Hang in there Liza. ---- It's been a few weeks, if not more. There hasn't been any word on anything at all, although we're all thirsty for the tiniest bit of information. No notes, no letters keeping us anxious....nothing. Vivian and Haku were permitted access to stay at the camp, as their previous one was ambushed. We tried looking for remains...it was all debris... "Summer?" Vivian asks, rubbing at her eyelids. Her eyes open and I'm met with honey brown ones. "What's wrong?" "Nothing." I say, pulling my hair into a side braid. "I was just thinking about stuff." "You've got to stop stressing, Summer." She says, pulling her blonde curly hair into a high bun. "Your friend'll be okay. She will." "She's survived...fifteen times, maybe...how can I be so sure that her fate'll stay the same this time?" I ask, tears already pinching at my eyes. "I've lived with this...this fear...but she doesn't know...there's a lot of things that I don't tell her; hell, I don't tell anybody!" I say, my cheeks soaked as I begin crying mixed with laughing, as I don't know what emotion to express. She rubs my back gently. "I feel so helpless, so hopeless...the bad side keeps getting what they want - they already took it! They took my mother and father, you know? They took them in warm blood, and the fact that I have to live with not being able to tell them I'm sorry I let it happen, that I apologize for letting them go...for not thinking of them like I should...I..." Haku walks into the tent, a loose white button up on and some baggy camo pants. I quickly shut my mouth, swallowing. "What're you guys talking about?" He says, and I exhale deeply, rubbing my faces with the palms to reduce the appearance of...well, you know. "How annoying you are." Vivian smirks, pulling at her pants. Haku rolls his eyes. "You must mean how sexy I am." "Nobody thinks you're close to hot as far as yourself." "Of course there is...right, Summer?" He asks, gazing at me with an alluring smirk. I open my mouth but all that comes out is a whole bunch of stutters. "Uh-I-Agh-Uh-No-I mean-" He smirks, turning back to his sister. She rolls her eyes, walking out of the tent, and I put my arms through my frilly black vest. "You should leave your hair down for today." Haku says, scooting closer to me and leaning towards my ear. "I like curly-haired brunettes, you know." I smirk, turning my face to his, not having a clue it'd end up only a centimeter distance. "D-Damn you...you player..." I mutter, as I feel his hand press up against my back, causing me to be speechless. He smirks before pulling off the hair tie and ruffling my hair slightly, taking out the hairstyle it was in. "You look...older, that way." "I don't care about age." "Oh, but you should..." He says softly, pressing his lips against my cheek. I can barely hear his voice over the beating of my heart. It sounds like it's in my ears... "What's a twenty-one year old man to do without a..." His eyes travel downwards before meeting mine again. "Girl who he never gets bored of?" He keeps his gaze steady, biting his lip. I try to move but he keeps his hand on my back, stabilizing my position. "I'm only nineteen." I growl. "I'm not interested." "Not yet?" He whispers into my ear. "I guess I need to try harder." "Summer! Haku!" I hear Vivian call out from outside, and he frowns. "Right when it was getting good, too..." I smirk, exiting the tent as well, my cheeks numb. Haku walks up, his arm around my waist as Channing glances over. I giggle a bit, twirling my hair and biting my lip, although still knowing it's all for show. Channing begins to get a little pissed. "You're beautiful," Haku says into my ear, quiet enough where it doesn't come off as talking but loud enough for Channing to hear. "But you're even more sexy," I whisper back, giggling a little while I emphasize certain words. He leans into my smile and I'm quick to wrap my hands around his neck. I wait a few more seconds for us to be out of Channing's sight before dropping my arms from his shoulders, walking through the grass. "Drunken fights at the Nifty Fox Inn?" Vivian offers, and I nod. Haku stays quiet, although whatever holding him occupied vanishing into an attractive smirk, strands of his bangs in his eyes. He doesn't even bother to shake them away. "Maybe I'll be able to get Summer's pants off...on accident." I scowl at him. "Keep dreaming." "But dreams can only get so close to reality..." ---- (TImeskip Liza's rescue bc not much to write that involves Summer...:3) I was thankful that Liza and Ander were alive and together again, and the child was born...her name was Sky. Everything returned back to normal, relationships, etc. except for the one I contained. Me and Channing kept a distance...and I stayed and leaned more towards the friendship of Vivian and Haku...but for now, I was stuck in a world of my own... Running...running...running. My feet ached from running. I don't exactly know why I was running...but I just...was. Crows swooped by my ears, opening their mouths and letting out screams. Letting out millions of screams. I clawed at them, covered my ears to make it stop. It didn't. After some more running, the screaming turns into loud voices. "PITY! PITY, PITY!" They chant. Over and over in Channing's voice. "THE GIRL WAS LOVED OUT OF PITY!" "THE GIRL IS BROKEN!" "PITY!" I stumble and fall, the crows now pecking at me and leaving scratches and pains. The voices repeat as they grab at my hair, clawing at my nose, my eyes, leaving behind blood. "STOP!" I scream, holding my face, trying to escape as the voices continue. "STOP IT!" The crows soon disappear, and I get back on my feet, looking behind me before turning around and crashing into someone. Channing. "I loved you, Summer. Why do you hate me?" He says calmly. Too calmly. "I...I..." "You said it yourself. You hate me. Is it because I broke you?" "Y-You didn't break me...I'm not that weak..." "Oh, but you are, darling...weaker than you could imagine. I had you wrapped around my finger since the first day, Summer...didn't you see how easy it was? All I had to do..." He grabs my chin, lifting me up to be face-to-face with him. Kissing me softly, he pulls away, the warmth still left on my bottom lip. "Was kiss you." "You never loved me..." I say, ever ounce of realization hitting me in the face. "Seems like the broken girl is finally getting it...the game I was playing with you..." "This isn't like you, Channing...you're...you're acting like Feu!" "Oh...Feu, that prick? He was a coward...I'm not." He says before inhaling sharply, curling his fingers around my throat. I feel myself begin to suffocate as he laughs a little. "You fell so hard for me, Summer, it was almost unbelievable..." I gasp some more, pulling my hands up to scratch at his arms but no matter how much skin I'm peeling off with my fingernails, his hands are practically glued stuck. "A weak girl like you...it's sad...I had to make sure the girl who was falling in love with me wasn't a child...being so gullible." "Plea-" "You'd kill for me, wouldn't you, Summer? Would you still do it now after seeing my true colors?" I gasp again. "You tried to make me jealous with that ass...Haku, right? I found it adorable...the fact that you think I'd come running back, begging for you. Yet you're still willing to do anything for me." Black blotches outline the edges of my vision. "Goodbye, Summer." I cough, jolting awake and gasping for air. Haku's eyes fly open and he looks at me. "What's wrong?" I cough some more, my hands instantly going up to my throat and making sure the warmth of Channing's hands are gone. I breathe heavily, my eyes darting all over my surroundings. "Where am I?" "In our tent." He says, glancing at me. "Why?" I sigh, trying to slow down my breathing. "Sorry...I just..." I take another deep breath. "A nightmare...Channing...he had...had..." I don't even notice that I'm crying until Haku scoots over to me, wiping tears from my cheeks. "You cry about everything, huh..." He murmurs under his breath before pushing my hair out of my face. "It's alright. It was just a dream." "It felt...it felt real," I say, my voice breaking at the end as I stuff my face into my hands, trying so hard not to sob. Haku hugs me softly. "Hey...it's okay...Channing...Channing's not here...and I won't hurt you...everyone's asleep..." "But I-" "I won't do anything to hurt you. You're safe." I nod softly, resting my head against his chest. Rising and falling with every breath, I look at Vivian, sound asleep. "She sleeps through everything." Haku says, as if reading my mind. I smile. "Seems like it..." "...You cry sometimes at night, you know." "Huh?" "You cry in your sleep." He says, a small smirk tugging at his lips. I don't wanna say it...but he looks really good right now... "Oh...probably because of my parents' death...that's usually my worst nightmare..." I say, shrugging in a somewhat nonchalant matter. His smirk fades. "I know the feeling." "Yeah." "Wait...why do you watch me at night?" There's a long pause. "It's kind of hard not to watch a beauty fall asleep at night." He says, his eyes scanning over me. I smile. "How many girls have you told that to?" "...Zero." He says, his cheeks flushing, and his eyes definitely not meeting my own. He clears his throat. "Anyway...uh...I guess you're fine now." He mumbles, getting back inside of his sleeping bag. I touch his hand. "W-Wait, Haku." "Hm?" He asks, turning around to face me. "...Thanks. Y'know, for helping me." "Oh. No problem. Now get to bed before I do something to that body of yours." He says with a mischevious smirk. I quickly scramble back over to my sleeping bag, slowing falling asleep. ---- "Like, really. Out of everyone in freaking Northcliff... hell, Valond, they decide that I'm the target. You'd think there was a giant... well... target on my back!" I laugh a little, Liza clearly drunk off of her rockers. Haku and Vivian walk over towards us, and I unknowingly let my hair down. "Ah...Hivian and Vaku?" She asks, and I roll my eyes. "It's Vivian and Haku, Liza," I say, twirling a piece of my hair around my finger. "So anyways, my twentieth birthday is in a week, a week after Liza's twenty-first...it's not fair." I say, half-grinning. "I love you dear, but I'm pretty sure that you steal the light from everybody." "What can I say? I am... fuck... I am the uh..." "Princess!" Penelope adds, hiccuping. I roll my eyes, Haku tossing strands of my hair between his hands. I slap his palms, making it come to a halt. "THAT'S RIGHT! PRINCESS! And dammit, when I want the light, I want the light." "I feel like I'm the one watching you sometimes. I mean... I do a shit job, clearly, but still..." I mutter, taking a large sip of ale. "She's not like other princesses," Vivian comments. "Also, I thought she had longer hair...?" "It got cut off i my...my last adventure! So...so I was there and I...I was taken out of the library at the Northcliff castle...and...from there...I was taken prisoner...and between fits of sleep...I was beaten to near death." She begins chuckling. "So then...so then...they cut my hair...so...so neck bruises...they showed!" "Liza, get down before you kill yourself." Ander says from behind her. He then averts his eyes to me after bringing her down. "Can I ever trust you to watch Liza without getting her drunk?" "Hey, I'm not drinking. I'm the responsible one. She was the one who wanted to jump on the table," I reply, leaning against the counter. "Cooeemmmm aannnn gais... There's gnaw... no reshion to.... to fight oval me...how drunk are I?" "Can't you put her to sleep? And Penelope for that matter?" "Aw, come on! I'm just...just fine!" And after Ander gives me some dumbass explanation as to why he can't put them to sleep, the two go off, leaving me behind with Penelope, Haku, and Vivian... "Why aren't you getting...getting drunk?" Penelope asks with a lazy smile. I sigh, shrugging. "Not in the mood." "I'm always in the mood," Haku says, downing some ale. "You're always in the mood for everything." I say, rolling my eyes. "Got that right, princess," He says, smirking. "Liza's the princess...not me." "Well, you're my princess." "I'm not your anything." "Guys...guys...calm down...we both know that Summer is lame and boring as hell...why even argue..." Penelope says, interrupting. Haku holds his bottle in the air. "I agree!" He shouts with triumph. I roll my eyes. "Summer...c-can...can be...spicy at times...but I mean...I...I...l-like...I like..." He hiccups. "Fierce woman! She's like a tiger...rawr..." I sigh, rolling my eyes. Vivian did drink some ale, but I'm surprised as to why she's not as drunk as the others. "Shouldn't you be like them? All woozy and crap?" "Ah...nah...the most I'll do is fall asleep..." "Stunned to say that you're the only one here that's manageable..." I mumble, taking another swig. (Le small timeskip...) "You're so...so...hawwwwwwt..." Haku mumbles into my ear, nibbling on the side of my chin. I giggle a little, knowing that he's drunk as hell, but I still find it extremely cute. "Thanks." I reply, my arm hooked around his waist, dragging him back to camp. "But I mean it...b-babe...you might not think...think the same...but you're...you're...so st-stunning..." "Uh-huh...maybe you should get some rest, Haku." "Whyyyyyy?!" He whines, clinging onto me. "Channing...C-Channing's not here...we could totally...mmm...what was...what was I gonna say?" "I don't know." "OH YEAH! We could totally...uh...totally...mmm..." I drag him back to the tent, Vivian passed out with Penelope at who-knows-where. Meh...I only had to watch Liza anyways... "Lay down, yeah?" "But I don't wanna," He protests, grabbing my arm. "I...I wanna...k-kiss you..." "Do me a favor and not do that," I say, giggling a little as he falls asleep within seconds. I do the same, curling up across from him and drifting off into a nice sleep.. ---- "Summer..." "Ah...dammit, Haku, you were already annoying when you were drunk..." "Rude..." "Rude is my middle name." "Come here." "Why?" I ask, yawning. He smirks, the only thing covering his chest is a plain white long-sleeved button up. "Because I said so. I'm all cold over here by myself...and the fact that you were shivering in your sleep, being only in a short-cut tank top and shorts where your pale ass is clearly visible." I feel myself blush. "Now come here." "I hate you," I mumble, crawling over to his spot and curling under the covers. He grabs me by my waist, pulling me closer. "Seriously?" "Yep." He says into my hair, exhaling deeply. "You smell really nice." "Shut up." "Face me." I roll my eyes, turning my face towards his. He stares at me right in the eyes before brushing his lips against mine gently, his hand completely enveloping my cheek. I bring my hands up to cup both of his cheeks and kiss him back passionately, a warm but comfortable feeling in my stomach. He pulls away, only to lean in and kiss me again, making me smile slightly. After a few minutes, he pulls away for good, gazing at me. "...Do you hate me anymore?" He whispers, nuzzling my ear. I giggle a bit before Penelope bursts through the entrance, tears streaming down her face. "Summer...Summer...Aunt Aida...she...she..." I cup my hand over my mouth, dreading the words that come next. "She's dead....and so is Uncle Zander." Category:Ascension Category:Fanfiction Category:Stories by Blissfully Mine Category:Stories Category:In Progress